December 19, 2008

Cover Graphic and Columns Solicited for the FY2009 White Paper,
"Information and Communications in Japan"

Competition for creating the white paper together
To raise public awareness of the information and communications field as well as to gain people's understanding on its efforts to realize a ubiquitous network society, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) is soliciting, for the first time, cover graphic and columns for the fiscal 2009 edition of its white paper, Information and Communications in Japan.

The cover graphic and columns selected will appear on the white paper as well as receive awards, including the MIC Minister Award.

Purpose of the solicitation
MIC has published Information and Communications in Japan every year since 1973 in order to gain the people's understanding of the current situation concerning information and communications in Japan and the trend of information and communications policies.

For the fiscal 2009 white paper, which MIC plans to release around July 2009, it solicits the cover graphic and columns to create the white paper through reader participation so that people will feel more familiar toward information and communications. MIC also takes this opportunity to raise public awareness of information and communications to drive development of a ubiquitous* network society.

Note: The word "ubiquitous" refers to the environment where anyone can connect to networks easily by using anything, at anytime, from anywhere.

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For further information about this press release, please fill in the inquiry form and submit it to MIC on the website
http://www.soumu.go.jp/joho_tsusin/eng/contact.html

International Policy Division,
Global ICT Strategy Bureau, MIC
TEL: +81 3 5253 5920 / FAX: +81 3 5253 5924